The Lifestyle Rx to Fight Diabetes, with Dr. Michelle McMacken

To celebrate National Fruits and Veggies Month, we’re dedicating our September episode to healthy eating! We’re so fortunate to be joined by Dr. Michelle McMacken, Executive Director of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals. Dr. McMacken discusses the innovative program she created at H+H that uses lifestyle medicine to treat and prevent diabetes, as well as other chronic conditions such as heart disease and hypertension. A plant-based diet is at the heart of the program, but Dr. McMacken emphasizes that even small changes can produce big results. One of her simplest tips? Take a “low-hanging fruit” approach…by eating more fruit! Combined with three other healthy habits—regular exercise, avoiding tobacco and maintaining a healthy weight—a nutritious diet can help reduce the risk of everything from type 2 diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol to heart disease, certain cancers and even dementia.

The Takeaway

• We want to hear from you! Please complete our survey: 1199SEIUBenefits.org/member-feedback.
• Drop us a line at our social media channels: Facebook// Instagram // YouTube.
• Get started on your health journey by making an appointment with your primary care physician to know your numbers.
• Get to know your numbers at 1199SEIUBenefits.org/healthyhearts.
• For information about the Lifestyle Medicine Programs at NYC Health + Hospitals, visit nychealthandhospitals.org/services/lifestyle-medicine-program or call the “Broccoli Hotline” at (347) 507-3695.
• Find healthy recipes and meal-prep tips at 1199SEIUBenefits.org/food-as-medicine.
• Visit the Healthy Living Resource Center for wellness tips, information and resources: 1199SEIUBenefits.org/healthyliving.
• Get inspired by fellow members through our Members’ Voices series: 1199SEIUBenefits.org/healthyliving/membervoices.
• Stop by our Benefits Channel to join webinars on building healthy meals, managing stress and more: 1199SEIUBenefits.org/videos.
• Visit our YouTube channel to view a wide collection of healthy living videos: youtube.com/@1199SEIUBenefitFunds/playlists.
• Sample our wellness classes to exercise body and mind: 1199SEIUBenefits.org/wellnessevents.

Guest Bio
Michelle McMacken, MD, FACP, DipABLM, is Executive Director of Nutrition & Lifestyle Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest municipal public healthcare system in the U.S. A practicing internist at New York City’s Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, she also directed Bellevue’s Adult Weight Management Program from 2005 to 2022. In 2019, Dr. McMacken founded the innovative Bellevue Lifestyle Medicine Program, among the first of its kind in a safety-net setting. She now leads the expansion of this program to a total of seven sites throughout New York City. The interdisciplinary program, which has received national attention and high demand for services, aims to improve cardiometabolic health in high-risk communities by combining support for lifestyle change with strategies to address health-related social needs.

An Associate Professor of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Dr. McMacken has received the faculty “Teacher of the Year” award three times. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Yale University and her medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She has presented at numerous academic conferences, including the American College of Physicians and the American Diabetes Association. She is board-certified in both internal medicine and lifestyle medicine.